Teyr

It was early evening at a local upscale restaurant…

Cierra arrived just as the sun went down. She was excited since she had not seen her friend Leila in a very long time and she agreed to meet her here this evening.

The restaurant was decorative and for an extra cost, you could reserve one of the small private dining rooms towards the back of the building. For this occasion, Cierra spared no expense.

Walking into the room, Cierra spotted her friend. “Leila!” she shouted happily and the two embraced. Leila had come a long way from Coruscant and the Twi’Lek dancer was ready for a little respite.

“Welcome to Teyr Leila. How have you been?” Cierra asked.

“Busy. Have you heard from Ishara?” The Twi’Lek asked concerned.

Cierra’s face went blank for a moment…

“I haven’t heard anything from her since her last transmission from Bonadan.. You know Ishara, she can handle herself and it’s not like she hasn’t ran off on other jobs before.”

Cierra took a sip from her drink. Then the waiter entered the private room…

“Excuse me Miss, we have a communication coming in from Arahsi Incorporated for you. Would you liekt o follow me?” The waiter said as he motioned towards the door to the room.

Cierra reached for her belt and realized she had forgotten her datapad back at the office. With her excitement in seeing Leila again, it didn’t surprise her.

Cierra excused herself and followed the waiter to a terminal in the lobby. When she activated it, nobody was there. She then contacted the office to see who had called but there was no indication anyone did…

“Strange” Cierra said to herself.

Cierra then began to head back to the private dining room she left Leila in…

Walking in the room, Leila’s back was tuned as she was still sitting in her seat…

“I’m sorry. I have no idea what that wa…” Cierra stopped just before she sat down…

“Leila?” Cierra asked as her friend didn’t seem well…

Cierra went to shake Leila’s shoulder and as she did, Leila’s limp body slumped backwards exposing the blood stain on her shirt…

“Leila!” Cierra gasped as she tried to catch her friend as she fell over…

Then Cierra felt a burning sensation in her back…

Her breathing became labored and shallow…

She looked down and could see the serrated blade protruding from her chest…

The dark figure behind her pulled the blade back out and pulled Cierra into his body, placing his hand over her mouth in a strong grasp…

Cierra tried to resist but she was already weak…

“Shhhhh…” The figure said in a chilling whisper…

He now held the knife to Cierra’s throat…

“It’ll be quick, you won’t feel a thing” he then whispered…

In a quick snap of his arm, he eased Cierra to the floor.

Looking down at her limp body, the figure spoke to himself…

“Rob just has such bad luck with his women” he said with a dark smirk…

The figure then made his exit, leaving no trace behind…

Aside from the two women.

The local authorities had been at the restaurant for about an hour before Kyra and Lacey arrived…

Kyra and Lacey exited the speeder and walked in to the lobby where an officer approached them…

Forcing back the emotions she felt, Kyra would let Lacey do the talking…

“Ladies, thanks you for coming and I;m sorry about your friends” the officer said in as much sympathy as he could offer.

“Do you have a suspect?” Lacey inquired.

“No, we’re still investigat…” The officer was cut off…

“Investigating? Talk and no action” Kyra sternly interrupted.

Anger filled her head as she walked away from Lacey and the officer…

Lacey followed as Kyra was walking towards the private room Cierra and Leila were found in…

“Are you sure you want to see this?” Lacey asked Kyra as she struggled to keep up…

Kyra made no reply and entered the room…



The seen was gruesome.

Kyra glanced at Leila…

Then she knelt down beside Cierra…

Tears filled Kyra’s eyes but she controlled herself as she placed her hand on Cierra’s head.

Lacey turned her back towards the seen and exited the room…

It was too much for her to take in as she tried to stop herself from crying.

Kyra stood up and left the room…

Her misery changed to an intense anger…

Lacey turned around to console her friend but as she did, noticed something had changed…

Kyra’s face was dark, her eyes seemed cold…

“Kyra?” Lacey said in a low voice.

“Handle this, I have to leave” Kyra said in an equally cold voice as her expression.

Kyra walked away from where Lacey stood and left the restaurant.

Lacey returned to the lobby…

She was concerned for Kyra and confused by how she reacted…

“Miss, I suggest you return to your headquarters. I will notify you if we uncover anything. I’ll have a member of my team take you there” the officer said.

Lacey realized Kyra must have left with the speeder and agreed to be taken back to the facility.

Once she arrived, the combat droids were on alert and she was escorted inside…

Lacey then searched for Kyra who was nowhere to be seen…

One of the protocol droids notified Lacey that Kyra was seen heading for the hangar.

Lacey rushed to see if she was still there but as she entered, she bumped into Jay, Kyra’s R5 astromech droid…

“Is she still here Jay?’ Lacey asked the little droid.

Jay simply gave a variety of alerted chirps and whistles…

Lacey noticed that Kyra’s fighter was missing…

She knelt down by Jay as he activated his record of what happened…

The blue hologram activated…



[FONT=Courier New]The recording showed Kyra had the same dark stare she had earlier…

“You have to remain here Jay, where I’m going is no place for a droid. And I won’t need help with the jump coordinates either.”

Kyra entered the fighter and it took off…[/FONT]



The recording then ended.

Lacey’s face went blank…

She was now on her own…

Lacey thought to herself for a moment when she realized what she needed to do…

I need to contact my Uncle.

Bonadan



“They are asking for eleven million…”

Vinda laughed…

“Hah! I bet they are, offer them two, and if they don’t like it, then remind them we are currently supporting their prototype, and that support can be cut anytime…”

Vinda’s response was instant…

The Holographic visage of the associate flinched…

“I’ll see to it…they won’t like it…”

The businessman’s grin was feral…

“Whats to like? If they don’t go for it, we’ll just buy them out”

The figure looked confused…

“Why don’t we just do that anyway..”

“Its cheaper this way…” Vinda returned promptly… “but if they they think I’m losing that prototype they have another thing coming, if they don’t go for it, that’s their loss, but I can assure you, it won’t be mine”

The advisor nodded…

“but what if we do cut the support? what happens to the Prototype?” He asked, pushing further, Vinda frowned out of annoyance…

“We have the design”

The aide’s eyes widened…

“They’ll cry foul, they could sue, what do I say to them then?” He asked concerned

Vinda simply smiled…

“That I’ll see them in court”

“I’ll relay the message”

“See that you do”

...and with that the transmission was cut..

During the meeting Zara, Vinda’s personal assistant had entered, waiting patiently as he finished his meeting…

Vinda looked up… “Yes? what is it Zara?”

“You know for someone about to quit this business, you don’t seem like you’re slowing down at all…”

The corporate leader smiled, as he leant back into his leather chair…

“I am merely just tying up loose ends , Zara, you know as well as me, I am allowed to do so…as long as I am not in office”

She wasn’t convinced…

“Right, well, there was a message for you…” Her face changed into one of puzzlement…

“From someone calling you uncle…” Her expression was one of confusion…

“Another family member you forgot about?…” She said sardonically

Vinda threw her an unimpressed glance… “Cute. If you must know she is the daughter of someone I knew a long time ago, we are not related, but she likes to call me…” He paused awkwardly before finishing his sentence…

“Uncle?” Zara finished it for him, teasing him again…

Vinda irritated , ignored her barb… “Just tell me what she said”

Zara handed him the datapad, and as the Corporate man digested its information, his brow furrowed deeply…


“Cancel my appointments for the rest of today” he murmured…

"And get me David Cayton"


Zara nodded, and did as she was asked, instantly detecting the shift in his mood.

Budpock

Kyra took her fighter out of hyperspace and entered orbit around Budpock.

She was uncertain why she came here…

Kyra was certain that the anger building inside her lead her here…

She would soon find out why.



The fighter landed in a hangar and Kyra exited the craft.

Something then overcame her…

Whispers atop whispers were speaking in her mind…

Her head began to pound…

Kyra dropped to her knees as she held her head in an attempt to stop them…

A man approached her to help and once he placed his hand on the woman, a dark instinct took over…

Kyra grabbed the man’s throat with her hand with some unknown strength she never had before...

She then pushed him to the ground and released him…

Kyra’s teeth were tightly grit while she looked down at him…

Both fists clenched…

“Do not touch me again slave” Kyra muttered in a dark and angry tone.

The man rushed back to his feet and ran off.

Kyra’s mind began to clear...

She started to think to herself…

How did I do that? Why did I call him a slave?

Kyra’s hands brushed her hair as the headache subsided. She collected herself and left the hangar.



Kyra made her way to a small restaurant…

She sat down as a waitress came to the table…

“What can I get you?” the waitress asked.

Kyra randomly pointed to something on the menu she recognized she had while on Coruscant…

“What is this planet?” Kyra asked in a low voice…

“Budpock honey” the waitress said with a confused look as she went to fill Kyra’s order.

Kyra began thinking again…

Budpock? Why do I feel drawn here?

The waitress returned with a plate and drink...

Kyra began to eat while she stared out a window nearby...

Bonadan...




“I thought you should handle this one yourself...unless of course you, don’t feel up to it?”

The old man’s tone was sincere, and David appreciated it, he nodded , then replied….

“No, I’ll handle it”

David had come to work for Vinda-Corp fairly recently, he had only been at the company for about two years. Vinda has taken him on at the behest of his father, who had apparently helped Vinda many years ago, it was a favour repaid. Though David to this day still did not know what he had done for the Corporate mogul.

His father took that secret to his deathbed, roughly about five years prior.

The old businessman had looked out for his family ever since, it was rare they met, but he was never out of the loop…

Vinda smiled congenially….

“Good, I daresay your sister could do with the support”

David nodded, slightly dazed by the news…

The old man drew a hefty toke on his cigarra, sending plumes of smoke in all directions, before asking “Did you know her well?”

David frowned…

“Mutual friend, Lacey and her were close though…”

Vinda murmured a response… “I’m sorry David, tell your sister I send my greetings and pass on my condolences, if she needs anything, anything at all, its done, apologise to her I that I cannot go to meet her in person ”

David nodded, and arose to leave…

“David” Vinda’s voice was serious…

“Yes?”

“Be careful” The old man said genuinely concerned…

David simply nodded slowly and took his leave.














Tyer…


David stopped to look up at the large office building before him, then took a deep breath, and entered the lobby.

“Can I help you?” A secretarial droid asked helpfully…

David nodded… “Yes, I’m here to see Lacey Cayton…”

The droid’s response was instant…

“I am sorry but all of Ms Cayton’s appointments have been suspended until further notice, I’m afraid you’ll have to come back another time…Mr?”

David sighed…

“Cayton, David Cayton, look I’m her brother, just tell her I’m here will you…” He started, his annoyance growing…


…Frellin droids!…


The droid seemed caught off guard by this…

“One moment…please” and it appeared to register something internally…

After a few seconds, it bowed slightly…


“Ms Cayton has been notified, please take a seat, she will meet you soon”


David rolled his eyes , “Thanks” he answered, but the sarcasm was lost on the droid, who simply returned… “You’re welcome”

He took a seat and waited impatiently…

Two combat droids entered the lobby as Lacey ran between them…

She ran up to David and threw her arms around him and began to cry.

All the sorrow she had held inside since she heard of the murders was released like water threw a dam.

Lacey controlled herself just enough to speak…

“I don’t know what I’m going to do David! I’ve been left in charge of this entire company!!”

David wiped away the tears running down his sister’s face as she continued…

“I don’t even know if I’m in any danger myself so I contacted Uncle Seth. I’m so glad he sent you David.”

Lacey lead her brother to Cierra’s office. She accessed the main access terminal on the desk…

“I have given you complete access to the facility and its files David.”

She walked over to a window and stared out as her brother placed his hand on her shoulder. Lacey closed her eyes and placed her hand atop David’s…

“It means so much to me that you came here to help David.”

Lacey turned around to face her brother and embraced him as tears again filled her eyes…

“I just want to go home.”

David embraced his sister, trying his best to comfort her…

Yet, he couldn’t help but think about what had happened to Cierra and Leila, he had known them both, mutual friends, the fact they had been murdered was one thing, but it all seemed so coldly premeditated…

His thoughts raced with the possible reasons, motives…


…who would do such a thing?…


…and why?…


“I just want to go home.”

David moved to face his sister and smiled kindly…

“I think that is the best idea I’ve heard in a while…”

She smiled appreciatively…

“Go get your things together,” He said quietly, and Lacey nodded wiping the tears from her face with her palms…

He watched as Lacey began to collect her things , deep in thought…


…First, Leila and Cierra…


…Was this personal?…


David’s eyes narrowed as his train of thought led him to something far more disturbing…


…What if this was purely business?….


Arahasi Inc. had ruffled a few feathers with its entrance , they had managed to claw their own niche into the Droid markets, a market already full of very serious competitors…

From the details the authorities had discovered already , they knew it was a professional hit…

Both women wouldn’t have known what hit them…

With them both out of the picture that only left one person…


A chill ran down his spine as his eyes settled once more onto Lacey…


…was she their next target?…


David felt his anger rise purely at the thought of it alone…


…They’ll have to get through me first…

He promised himself whoever had done this would not get the chance to come near his sister, at least…


…not while I’m still alive…


David remembered Mr Vinda’s words…


“David...

...Be careful”


David had not quite realised the gravity of the meaning behind them, but he appreciated it now.


…Perhaps it was just the voice of experience …


At which point David briefly wondered how many times Mr Vinda’s life had been threatened over the years…and the young businessman suddenly found his respect for the old man deepen more…

He brought his thoughts back to his sister…


…She could very well be next on their list….


David felt his resolve to find the killer strengthen in reaction.


No!…


I won’t let that happen…

Lacey walked with her head low up the ramp to the ship until she paused…

She looked back as David’s associates began to take charge of the Arahsi facility.

“I may never come back here David” she said as her eyes began to water.

Lacey felt the gentle rub on her back from her brother as she turned and entered the spacecraft. Teyr had become a nightmare and she was anxious to wake up from it.

Lacey sat as David sat next to her and held her hand. She stared out the window as the ship lifted form the hangar. The buildings on the ground began to blur and the stars soon became clear as the ship cleared the atmosphere.

Lacey began to think…

The fate of Arahsi Incorporated was in her hands. Lacey now had sole control of the small company and she would intimately have to make a decision on its future. For now, she only wanted to get through the depression she felt over recent events.

As the ship entered hyperspace, Lacey turned back to her brother David…

“Thanks David, I mean it” Lacey said, expressing her feelings straight from her heart.

She then began to think about breathing the fresh air of her home. Lacey had always loved Bonadan and was very anxious to go back there.

As Lacey thought of Bonadan, a question entered her mind which brought a smile to her face…

“How has Uncle Seth been doing?”

Budpock…

Krista had arrived a few hours ago and had begun to make her way around the vicinity near the hangar to familiarize herself with the area. She was here at the order of the Matriarch herself to find a new pupil.

This mission she was given was of high importance. It seems the woman she was here to find was Dathomiri like herself. She was separated from the clan at a very young age and hidden. Selene would tell Krista no more than that.

Walking through the streets, Krista began to open her senses. She wanted to try and reach out to find the woman sooner. Krista felt herself pulled toward a nearby restaurant where she peered into the window. She saw a dark haired woman looking out the window. Their eyes met only for a moment as Krista gave a small smile at the woman before she disappeared into the street.

Krista was convinced this was the one she was here for. She felt an extrreme anger and power within the woman and would now begin to help the woman find her way to her destiny with the Nightsisters.